Garment closure



Nov. 30, 1943.

L. GOLDMAN ETAL GARMENT CLOSURE Filed July 10, 1942 INVEN ORS as GoIJman s Zevctara ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 30, 1943 GARMENT CLOSURE Louis Goldman, Rockaway Park, Long Island, and- Louis Levitan, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application July 10, 1942, Serial No. 450,363

3 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in dress and other garment closures.

More particularly, the invention relates to closure means for the placket or slit formed at the side of the dress or garment. Heretofore, slide fasteners and the fasteners were used to close such openings. However, due to the war these means are no longer available.

The invention particularly proposes to reinforce the edges of the placket or slit with flexible blades arranged to hook one upon the other in such a manner that when the dress or other garment is being worn and the blades are forced into convex or concave conditions, they will be locked together and so hold the placket or slit closed. However, the placket or slit may be opened by forcing the blades straight and then they may be unhooked, and permits the easy. removal and donning of a dress or other garment.

Still further, the invention proposes new and novel means for securing the flexible blades along the edge portions of the placket. It is proposed that the flexible blades be mounted within cloth casings which may be easily sewed in position.

The invention contemplates a modification in which more than two flexible blades are used. In such an arrangement it is' proposed that at least two flexible blades be mounted upon one of the sides of the placket and be so arranged that another flexible blade from the other side of the placket may hook on to at least one of the said flexible blades.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a material part of this disclosure- Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a garment provided with a placket and closure means therefor.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged detailed view of a portion of Fig. 1 disclosing particularly the placket area.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of Fig. 2 illustrating that the placket area is concave.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the placket in its open position.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line l1 of Fig. 4, v

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the flexible blade and casing used in this invention.

Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view similar to Fig. 5 but illustrating a modified construction of the closure means.

Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line l6|0 of Fig. 9.

The new dress or other garment closure means; in accordance with this invention, is used in combination with a garment I!) having a placket or slit H located at an area which assumes a concave form when the garment is being worn. This placket is located at the side of the garment along the outside seam l2 thereof and between the small horizontal lines of stitches I3.

A flexible blade M is mounted on the garment along one side of the placket H and is directed inwards thereof. Another flexible blade I4 is mounted on said garment along the other side of the placket l l and is directed outwards and hooked upon the first mentioned blade l4.

More specifically, the blades l4 and [4' may be formed of whale bone, sheet steel, spring wire reinforced cloth strips, or the like. Each blade l4 and M" is encased within a casing l5 of cloth material. Said casing is formed from a strip of cloth material'engaged around the flexible blade so as to have its side edges overlapping. A line of stitches l 6 is engaged through the overlapping side edges and secures the casing closed.

In Fig. 5 one side of the placket l l is indicated by reference numeral H and the other side by H, The blade M with its casing 15 is secured upon the side portion l l by a line of stitches H. The flexible blade M with its casing I5 is secured to the side portion H" by the line of stitches l8. The stitches l3 which bound the placket l l at the top and at the bottom also pass through the top and bottom ends of the casings I5 (see particularly Fig. 6).

The operation of the closure means may be best understood by first examining Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 5 and noting that the blades l4 and M are superimposed and concaved. They are held in the concaved position by the belt 20 of the garment. However, a belt is not necessary since they would also maintain the concave formation because the dress is formed to the shape of the body at the waistline, which is concave at the sides. Because the blades M and M are concave they are securely hooked together and cannot be separated by outward pulls along the sides II and II" of the placket.

When it is desired to open the placket it is first necessary that the blades l4 and M be forced substantially into parallel planes. They may then be unhooked and flexed around to an open position as illustrated in Fig. 4. The placket II is now open and the dress may be conveniently removed.

In Figs. 9 and 10 a modified form of the invention is disclosed which is very similar to the prior form, distinguishing merely in the fact that an auxiliary flexible blade M within its casing I is secured upon the side portion l l" of the placket by lines stitches 2| along its sides. Thus the side portion ll" of the placket has two flexlble blades mounted on opposite faces thereof. The flexible blade I4 hooks in between the two flexible blades M. In other respects this form of the invention is identical to the prior form and like parts are indicated by like reference numerals.

The operation of this form of the invention is identical to the previous form except for the fact that the interengaged three flexible blades will be stiffer than the interengaged two flexible blades used in the prior form of the invention and will therefore make a more rigid closure for the placket.

It is to be understood that this closure may be used for tightly closing openings at any location of a garment or of any object such as, hand bags, beach bags, etc.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of our invention, it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a garment having a placket located at an area which assumes a concaved form when the garment is worn, a flexible blade mounted on said garment along one side of said placket and directed inwards, and another flexible blade mounted on said garment along the other side of said placket and directed outwards and hooked upon said first named blade, each of said flexible blades being mounted within a cloth casing, each cloth casing comprising a cloth strip engaged around the flexible blade so as to have their sides overlapping, and a line of stitches securing said overlapping sides together, said flexible blades being mounted on the sides of the placket by having their casings stitched to the sides of the placket and short lines of stitches bounding the top and bottom of said placket and also securing the ends of said casings together and still another flexible blade mounted upon one of the sides of said placket in addition to the flexible blade already mounted thereon.

2. In combination with a garment having a placket located at an area which assumes a concaved form when the garment is worn, a flexible blade mounted on said garment along one side of said placket and directed inwards, and another flexible blade mounted on said garment along the other side of said placket and directed outwards and hooked upon said first named blade, each of said flexible blades being mounted within a cloth casing, each cloth casing comprising a cloth strip engaged around the flexible blade so as to have their sides overlapping, and a line of stitches securing said overlapping sides together said flexible blades being mounted on the sides of the placket by having their casings stitched to the sides of the placket and short lines of stitches bounding the top and bottom of said placket and also securing the ends of said casings together and still another flexible blade mounted upon one of the sides of said placket in addition to the flexible blade already mounted thereon, said last named flexible blade being mounted within a cloth casing.

3. In combination with a one piece garment having a vertical placket at the Waist area, a flexible blade mounted on said garment along one side of said placket and directed inwards, a second flexible blade mounted on said garment along the other side of said placket and directed outwards and hooked onto said first named blade for closing said placket, and a third flexible blade extended along the inner face of said first flexible blade and mounted on said garment.

LOUIS GOLDMAN, LOUIS LEVITAN. 

